College Basketball Madness Heats Up

November 22, 1985|By Barry Cooper of The Sentinel Staff

The madness has begun.

From now until March, when it all culminates with an explosion of excitement at the Final Four in Dallas, college basketball teams will race up and down the court in search of what is becoming one of the most coveted titles in sports -- the NCAA Championship.

Actually, the tournament frenzy already is under way. The National Invitation Tournament, not satisfied with just a post-season affair, has added a preseason tourney that began Thursday.

But those games won't count in the regular-season standings. The real action begins this weekend, and it promises to be a juicy season, made especially appetizing because of one notable absence.

Georgetown center Patrick Ewing, one of the best and most frightening player in the modern history of the college game, has taken his strong-arm tactics to the NBA.

Ewing's departure spells one thing: parity. With Ewing gone, more teams will be able to challenge for the spotlight. Hoya Paranoia may be no more.

In fact there does not appear to be a dominant center in the college game, the one player who stands head and shoulders above all others. It's anybody's game.

Georgia Tech, led by 6-foot guard Mark Price, could be the class of the nation. The Yellow Jackets won't go unchallenged, though. North Carolina, Michigan, Duke, Kansas and, yes, even Georgetown, figure to be as good.

In Florida, Florida State is brimming with optimism after bringing in eight new players, the University Florida must adjust to losing center Eugene McDowell and South Florida is bemoaning the loss of sharpshooter Charlie Bradley.

Down in Miami, the Hurricanes are going bonkers over their decision to resume basketball. The Hurricanes, who will be playing the sport for the first time since 1971, have sold every available ticket for their home games.

The University of San Francisco is getting back into the fray, too, having sat out the past two seasons after having been involved in a nasty recruiting scandal.

There are new teams and there are new players, particularly foreign players. After Akeem ''The Dream'' Olajuwon made his way to the USA by way of Nigeria and made the Houston Cougars a power, coaches have been scouring every part of the globe for talent.

This year there will be players from West Germany, Greece, Senegal, Denmark, Kenya, Puerto Rico, England, Colombia, Italy, Israel and a handful of other exotic places.

The television networks are ready. Because of all the local, network and syndication deals, it is difficult to say exactly how many games will be televised. More than 100 games should be available to most viewers, though.